Chapter One

General Description

A.   Bukit Tigapuluh National Park

1.      Bukit Tigapuluh National Park Establishment History

The Establishment of Bukit Tigapuluh National Park (BTNP) began when The National Conservation Plan of 1982 that highlighted importance of Bukit Tigapuluh ecosystem. The plan consists of two conservation areas, Bukit Besar Wildlife Sanctuary (200.000 Ha) and Seberida Nature Reserve (120.000 Ha).

On 1988, Regional Physical Planning Programme for Transmigration (RePProt) which consisted classification of land system, having corrugated and hilly topography, the Bukit Tigapuluh area is most suited for conservation with the proposed area of 350.000 Ha. And than on 1990 the Center For Land and Agro Climate Research, Agriculture Department produced Maps of land unit. The maps showed that Bukit Tigapuluh ecosystem comprised of a number of ranges of topographically rough or hilly areas.

At 1994 The Provincial Government of Riau published regional regulations No. 10/1994 about Riau Spatial Planning/RTRWP. The regulation consisted of the conservation area of Bukit Tigapuluh. And in the same year The Directorate of Forest Protection and Nature Conservation of Forestry Ministry issued a letter proposing Bukit Tigapuluh and Bukit Besar as national park to the Ministry of Forestry.

In 1995 Bukit Tigapuluh was established as a national park by the Decree of Forestry Ministry no. 539/Kpts-II/1995, covering an area of about 127.698 Ha, consisting of 57.888 Ha restricted production forest and 37.250 Ha protection forest in Riau and 33.000 Ha protection forest in Jambi. And than with a decision letter of Directorate of Forest Protection and Nature Conservation no. 17/Kpts/DJ-V/2001, zoning system of Bukit Tigapuluh National Park was designated.

Finally, on June 21^st, 2002, The Forestry of Ministry issued a decision letter No. 647/Kpts-II/2002 designating 144.223 Ha of forest habitat covering 4 Districts or 2 Provinces (Riau and Jambi) as Bukit Tigapuluh National Park.

2.      Geographical Context

Bukit Tigapuluh National Park is situated between 0^O 40’ - 1^O 25’ South Latitude and 102^O 10’ - 102^O 50’ East Longitude, covering 144.223 Ha of land. According to government administrative area, Bukit Tigapuluh National Park area is expands over the two provinces of Riau (covers two district, Indragiri Hulu about 81.223 Ha and Indragiri Hilir about 30.000 Ha) and Jambi (covers two district, Tanjung Jabung Barat about 10.000 Ha and Tebo about 23.000 Ha).

3.      Topography

Bukit Tigapuluh National Park area is a group of hills and low mountains with an altitude of between 60 – 843 meters above sea level, the highest hill is Supin Hill. The hilly area is separated from the Bukit Barisan range running north to south of Sumatra.

The topography of Bukit Tigapuluh National Park can be grouping in three categories, viz.:

§         The land at between mountain range and small hills (declivity < 14^O)

§         Mountain range with declivity steep to extremely steep (declivity between 25^{O -} 75^O)

§         Mountain range with declivity extremely steep (declivity > 75^O)

4.      Geology, Land, Climate and Hydrology

The mountain area of Bukit Tigapuluh National Park generally composed by pre tertiary age material that consist of metamorphic and sedimentary rock.

According to Jog Sumatra Map no. SA 48-1 (1969) in 1:250.000 scale, the geological formation of Bukit Tigapuluh National Park is majority composed by Red Yellow Podzolic (on east) and Red Latosol (on west). The depth of land has variation between 40 until more than 150 centimeters.

Based on the Schmidt and Ferguson classification, the Bukit Tigapuluh National Park climate is type B with an average rainfall of 2.577 mm/year. The highest rainfall occurs in October (12.347 mm) and the lowest rainfall occurs in July (1.283 mm). The temperature changes from 28^OC in January to 33^OC in August. While Bukit Tigapuluh National Park air humidity range from 81% - 90% with an average 85,9%.

Bukit Tigapuluh National Park area is include in DAS (River Basin) Batang Hari and Pengabuan and Sub DAS (Sub River Basin) Batang Sumai. There are many rivers and waterfall in Bukit Tigapuluh National Park area viz. Batang Gansal River, Megatal River, Akar River, Mumal River, Sipang River, Lempang River, Pengabuan River and Ketalo River, Tembeling Berasap waterfall and Batu Catal waterfall.

5.      Functions and Potential

National park is nature conservation areas that have a genuine ecosystem, managed through a zoning system and used for science, education, support the culture, tourism and recreation purpose.

The park has several primary functions and future potential, which include:

a.      Representative of one of the few remaining extensive areas of lowland and hill rain forest in Sumatra.

b.      Sanctuary for a rich and valuable biodiversity and the habitat for many rare and endangered species of flora and fauna.

c.      Water catchments area for rivers in surrounding region.

d.      Unique group of hills and low mountains.

e.      Home of traditional communities: Anak Dalam, Talang Mamak and Old Malay people who have been living there for many generations.

f.        A high priority “lung of the earth”

g.      Future regional center of tourism.

h.      Source of many non-timber forest resources, including rubber, jerenang etc.

i.        Natural laboratory for scientific development, education and research.

5.1.  Potential of Vegetations (Flora)

Presenting an ecosystem between lowland rain forest and swamp forest, Bukit Tigapuluh National Park has a rich flora (4.66 on the Shannon 0-5.23 diversity scale). The density of the trunk is comparatively high, reaching 111 trees/hectares, the dominant species are Terap, Kepinis and Meranti. There are hundreds prevalent tree families and dominant species is Dipterocarpaceae. The species that find in the park are Jelutung (Dyera costulata); Kempas (Koompassia excelsa); Getah Merah (Palaquium spp); Pulai (Alstonia scholaris); Meranti (Shorea spp); Cendawan Muka Rimau (Rafflesia hasseltii); Swintonia floribunda var. penargiana; Salo (Johannestejmania altifrons) and many more.

In the park, there are some edible plants are Petai, Durian, Duku, Lansat and many more. Usually, these plants yield some fruits just once in a year, there are many peoples enter to the forest when the plants are yield some fruits. The harvest fruits activity not just done by local people, but it done by peoples who come from outside the park, both they used it for themselves or they sell it. They can sell their yields to collector at the price about 1000 rupiah / fruit for durian and about 3000 rupiah / bundle containing 20 petai.

Cendawan Muka Rimau (Rafflesia hasseltii) is a rare and endemic species in Bukit Tigapuluh National Park. This holoparasite plant has a long time to complete its lifecycle. It is assumed that it take about 280 days for Rafflesia hasseltii to blossom (when the flower reaches 18 cm in diameter). The flowers take about 1 day to reach perfect form then become rotten after 5–8 days. When sprouting the flower is about 20–50 cm in diameter, having an attractive color (some dominant white spot stretch along it diaphragm) but producing a bad odor.

Until today, we still can find many big trees (more than 1 meter in diameter) in the Bukit Tigapuluh National Park.  But at several places, we will find resam (kind of fern) that close ex ‘HPH’ (logging concession) roads.  These resam are so close and more tall than human, so it is difficult to pass.  Beside that, there are many bamboos.  The bambooos are use by local people to make rakit (raft), wall of their house (local people =pelupuh) and for food (rebung =young bamboo).

5.2     Potential of Animals (Fauna)

Base on the Based on survey result and infrared camera that install on 2 years, there are 44 species of mammals consist of 8 ordo and 19 family.

Table 1. The Mammals that lived in Bukit Tigapuluh National Park